Foley to introduce Hall of Fame class

• Twelve 2017 inductees will be recognized at 6:35 p.m. before the game Oct. 13

Submitted by Zana Price and Russ Moore

Posted 10/12/17

Foley High will honor 12 former athletes during its annual Hall of Fame ceremony before the Lions’ home game against Spanish Fort on Friday (Oct. 13) at Ivan Jones Stadium. A reception hosted by the FHS Alumni Association will be held in the Foley Elementary School gym/auditorium on Oak Street next to Ivan Jones Stadium’s west end zone before the ball game

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Foley to introduce Hall of Fame class

• Twelve 2017 inductees will be recognized at 6:35 p.m. before the game Oct. 13

Posted
Thursday, October 12, 2017 6:52 pm

Submitted by Zana Price and Russ Moore

FOLEY, Ala. — Foley High will honor 12 former athletes during its annual Hall of Fame ceremony before the Lions’ home game against Spanish Fort on Friday (Oct. 13) at Ivan Jones Stadium. A reception hosted by the FHS Alumni Association will be held in the Foley Elementary School gym/auditorium on Oak Street next to Ivan Jones Stadium’s west end zone before the ball game beginning at 5:15 p.m. All friends, family, classmates and well-wishers are invited to congratulate the inductees at this time. The Hall of Fame Class of 2016 will be introduced to the crowd at 6:35 p.m. before kickoff of the game. The inductees include the following:

• Mr. Johnny Adams was a standout basketball and football player for the Lions in the early 1980’s. • Mr. Anthony Carvin starred for the Lions on the gridiron in the mid 1990’s. • Mr. Scott Crosby excelled under Coaches Lester Smith and Bud Pigott on the football field in the mid 1980’s. • Mr. Lynn Gregson was an outstanding three-sport letterman for the Lions in the early 1980’s. • Mr. Kertz Hare was a leader on the football field in the late 1980’s. • Mr. Charles King was a two-way player for Coach Ivan Jones in the early 1960’s. • Mr. James McGaster was a three-sport athlete who excelled on the football field in the mid 1980’s. • Ms. Loreena Pickens was a pioneer in girls’ basketball for the Lions in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. • Mr. Chris Reed was a leader on some of Foley High School’s best basketball teams in the early 1990’s. • Mr. Vince Shoots led his team from the quarterback position under Coach Lester Smith in the mid 1980’s. • Coach Ben Watson served a long career primarily in the South Baldwin area at both Elberta MS and Foley HS. • Ms. Tennille Wilson excelled as a sprinter for the Lions in the mid 2000’s.

EXTENDED BIOS

Mr. Johnny Adams is a 1982 graduate of Foley High School where he was a standout member of the basketball and football programs. As a two-year starter for the Lions, Mr. Adams averaged over 20 points per game his senior year and was named all-county and all-region. He was also selected to play in the state All-Star game against players such as Chuck Person and Mark Gottfried.As a senior football player, Mr. Adams recorded 12 quarterback sacks to help lead that team to a 10-2 record and a place in the quarterfinals of the state playoffs.After graduation from Foley HS, Mr. Adams joined the United States Army and rose to the rank of Sergeant.

Mr. Anthony Carvin is a 1996 graduate of Foley High School where he played football for Coach Jimmy Nazary. As a standout defensive end on an 11-1 team, Anthony was a leader on a defense that led the state in scoring defense for the regular season. He also played fullback for the Lions when injuries struck the team and logged at least one game with over 100 yards rushing. He was recognized as all-county and all-region that year and was an Optimist Player of the Week and received recognition at the end of the year banquet.After graduation from Foley HS, Mr. Carvin played some semi-professional football for a couple of teams on the Gulf Coast and began working in the community. He has been employed at Vulcan for over 10 years now and is most proud to support his children in their academic and athletic pursuits in Foley schools, where he is a fixture in the stands and on the sidelines.

Mr. Scott Crosby is a 1986 graduate of Foley High School where he was a standout for the Lions in tackles his senior season for coaches Bud Pigott and Lester Smith. He was named all-county and All-Region that season, earned Optimist Club Player of the Week recognition, received the team’s 100% award, and was a team captain his senior year.After graduation from Foley HS as an honor student and member of many clubs, Mr. Crosby attended and graduated from the University of Alabama. While at Alabama, Scott walked on to the football team and proved he could play with the best. During the 1988 A-day game at Legion Field, Mr. Crosby was recognized as one of the outstanding defensive players after recording several tackles and an interception. Mr. Crosby currently lives in Jacksonville, Florida with his wife Patti and their daughters Amanda and Elizabeth where he is the Vice President for one of the largest banks in the country. He is an active member of the community and volunteers with underprivileged children through his church and other venues.Mr. Crosby is a third generation inductee into the Foley HS Athletic Hall of Fame, joining his grandfather JW Crosby, his father and uncle Dennis and Jay Crosby, and his brother Erick as outstanding contributors to the Foley HS tradition.

Mr. Lynn Gregson is a 1983 graduate of Foley High School where he was a three-sport letterman for the Lions. On the football field, Mr. Gregson contributed as a bruising fullback and accounted for 8 career touchdowns while getting short yardage carries and blocking a consistent 90% for his teammates. He was known as a hard worker at all times and set many records in the weight room as a Lion. In baseball, Mr. Gregson had a career batting average of .381 and was known for a strong arm from the outfield.Following graduation from Foley HS, Mr. Gregson served a two-year mission for his church and then attended and graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in finance and later received an MBA from the University of Arkansas.During his career, Mr. Gregson has directed and led sales teams for many top nationally recognizable companies. He stays close to high school sports and is the play-by-play announcer for the high school team where he lives in Arkansas.Lynn’s late brother Dwayne Gregson is also a member of the Foley HS Athletic Hall of Fame as a 2014 inductee.

Mr. Kertz Hare is a 1988 graduate of Foley High School. He played quarterback and defensive back totaling seven interceptions from his junior and senior years. Kertz received all county and all area awards as well as a state ranking amongst state defensive backs. Kertz played under coaches Bud Pigott and Lester Smith as well as Teddy Suttle and Barry Pennington. After graduation, influenced by Foley greats Carey Christensen and cousins Clovese and Vince Snowden, Kertz elected to serve in the Air Force Reserves while attending Troy University as a student athlete. Kertz lettered at Troy as a free safety and also deployed during Desert Shield under his Air Force obligation. Kertz holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Organization Management from Spring Hill College and a MBA from Troy University. He has over 25 years with the federal government and is currently the Director of Logistics for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Southeast Region. Kertz still uses Foley coaching quotes to motivate his FEMA staff when they are faced with daunting disaster response challenges. Being a Gulf Coast baby drives his FEMA passion.Kertz currently lives in Atlanta, GA with his wife Juanita, son Delon, and daughters DarNetta and Jessica.

Mr. Charles King, Jr. is a 1961 graduate of Foley High School where he was a three sport athlete in football, basketball, and baseball. On the football field for Coach Ivan Jones, Mr. King played center and played on defense. Coach Jones remembers Mr. King as an integral part of those teams who seldom left the field. He was voted most athletic his senior year.After graduation from Foley HS Mr. King attended Troy on a basketball scholarship before returning home to help his father in the shrimping industry. During his career he was a captain of several boats and partner in others with great success and respect from those in the local industry.Mr. King then worked as a captain on a charter fishing vessel until he retired completely.Mr. King is the father of Dana, Christi and Brandon and bonus children Christine and Karen and is a proud member of our community today.

Mr. James McGaster is a 1985 graduate of Foley High School where he was a three sport letterman and starred for the Lions in football his senior season for coaches Bud Pigott and Lester Smith, both as a leading tackler and as a fullback. He was named All-County that season, was an Optimist Player of the Week more than once, and was a team leader his senior year. He is remembered by other players as a vicious tackler and an outstanding teammate.After graduation, Mr. McGaster attended Marion Military Institute and eventually became an aerospace mechanic at UTC in Foley.He has been married to Brenda McGaster for 24 years and they have 5 children and 4 grandchildren.

Ms. Loreena Pickens is a 1982 graduate of Foley High School where she led the Lions as team captain of the girls’ basketball program from its beginning in 1978 – 1982. She was named all-county and all-region for four consecutive years while scoring among the very top numbers of baskets in the history of Foley HS basketball, despite playing before the advent of the three-point line. Coach Tommy Catlin remembers her as definitely one of our school’s most prolific scorers and a cornerstone of what quickly became a powerhouse program for the Lions.After graduation from Foley HS, Ms. Pickens went on to play for Faulkner State on a scholarship, and she resides and works in Foley today.

Mr. Chris Reed is a 1991 graduate of Foley High School where he was a standout member of the basketball program. As a two-year starter for the Lions, Mr. Reed was part of two of the best teams statistically in school history winning 39 games and was named all-county and all-region. After graduation Mr. Reed began working in the community and has been with CenturyLink for the past 12 years. He is in South Florida helping that community recover from Hurricane Irma as we speak tonight.Mr. Reed joins his father Freddie, his uncle Lewis, his siblings Roderick and Tennille, and other relatives as members of the FHS Athletic Hall of Fame.Accepting on his behalf this evening will be his wife Patricia Reed and his daughters Kristen Reed and Treasure Reed.

Mr. Vince Shoots is a 1985 graduate of Foley High School where he was a standout member of the football program. As a senior starter for the Lions at quarterback, Mr. Shoots led the team in most statistical categories for the season. He had individual offensive yardage totals of 323 yards versus Northview of Dothan that remain among the top stats in Lion history. He was recognized during the season by the Optimist Club Player of the Week program and by the coaches at the end of the season banquet. He was an All-county selection.After graduation Mr. Shoots went to work in the community and has been with Vulcan for 31 years. He also runs his own landscaping business for the past 15 years and works with young people in the community through Listening Good Youth, a program of which he is the president.Mr. Shoots is the father of five children – three boys and 2 girls – and is involved in the community with his wife Susie.

Coach Ben Watson is a 1956 graduate of Douglasville High School in Bay Minette where he was a standout athlete and student. After graduation Coach Watson attended and graduated from Alabama State and later earned a masters’ degree from South Alabama.Coach Watson served two years active duty in the US Army and was qualified as an expert in all small arms weapons. He earned soldier of the month 8 times during his service, mostly in Germany.Coach Watson coached football and basketball at his alma mater before transferring to Foley HS in 1970 where he coached football and basketball. In 1971 he began coaching at Elberta Middle School where his basketball and track & field teams experienced great success for many years. He also coached football at Foley HS during this time under Coaches Pennington and Suttle.In 1994 Coach Watson led the charge in the construction of an asphalt track facility assisted by the county commission, other coaches, and some of his former athletes who were in the industry.Overall, Coach Watson spent 31 years coaching in Baldwin County. He is a charter member of the Baldwin County Middle School Hall of Fame, a member of other halls of fame, earned a Lifetime coaching award for 25 years plus from the Alabama High School Athletic Association, and many other honors.Coach Watson and his wife of 51 years Bessie are members of Magnolia Baptist Church in Bay Minette where he is treasurer, deacon, and a member of the choir. They are the parents of two children and grandparents of ten during their life together.

Ms. Tennille Wilson is a 2006 graduate of Foley High School where she excelled in basketball and track & field for the Lions. From her freshman year through graduation Ms. Wilson was undeniably the fastest female sprinter in Alabama and among the fastest in the nation.During her high school track & field career, Ms. Wilson was a seven-time state champion in the 55m dash, the 100m dash, the 200m dash and the 4x100m relay and she also won two other medals in these events for a total of nine state medals. During the summers she competed in the National Junior Olympic program and routinely advanced to the final events.Ms. Wilson competed head-to-head with many of the best sprinters in the nation in the Junior Olympics and traveled to Houston, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, etc. with the Lions and was invited to the Nike Invitational in Baltimore where she finished in the finals for the nation and was named a Nike All-American. After graduation from Foley HS, Ms. Wilson ran track at Beville State and eventually resettled in the Foley community where she works and raises her family.Ms. Wilson joins her father Freddie, Uncle Lewis, brothers Chris and Roderick, and several cousins as members of the Foley High School Athletic Hall of Fame.